Paper feeder

Abstract

A paper feeder is suitable for use in an image forming apparatus such as a copier, a printer or the like and is capable of suitably correcting the direction of a sheet of paper conveyed from a registration device to a transfer unit. A paper conveying path is provided in curve form between a resist roller pair and a conveying roller pair provided on the upstream side of the resist roller pair as seen in a paper feeding direction. A fixed guide member is provided on the concave side of the paper conveying path. A movable guide member rotatably supported by a rotatable shaft with the rotatable shaft taken as the center, is provided on the convex side of the paper conveying path. The movable guide member is urged toward the fixed guide member by a torsion spring. A film-shaped elastic member which extends toward the downstream side as seen in the paper conveying direction, is mounted on a leading end portion of the movable guide member. Thus, a force for pressing the leading end portion of the paper against the resist roller pair suitably acts on the paper so that the oblique feeding of the paper is reliably corrected.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A paper feeder comprising: a pair of guide members provided on both sides of a paper conveying path so as to be opposed to and separated from each other, said pair of guide members positioned for controlling said paper conveying path;   a pair of conveying rollers having an upstream side and a downstream side and opposed to and brought into contact with each other within said paper conveying path, said pairs of conveying rollers rotatably feeding a sheet of paper held therebetween;   a registration device provided on the downstream side of said pair of conveying rollers in said paper conveying path for bringing a leading end portion of the paper into contact with said registration device so as to temporarily stop movement of the leading end portion of the paper in predetermined timing;   wherein said pair of conveying rollers and said registration device being are positioned such that there are at least two bends in the paper conveying path between the downstream side of said pair of conveying rollers and the registration device;   and further wherein said pair of guide members comprises a fixed guide member positioned at the bends of said paper conveying path;   a movable guide member having an upstream end and a downstream end positioned opposed to and separated from said fixed guide member, said movable guide member being rotatably supported on the upstream end of said movable guide member so as to be withdrawable from the position opposed to said fixed guide member;   urging means for urging said movable guide member toward said fixed guide member; and   a film-like elastic member which extends from the upstream end of said movable guide member to the downstream end of said movable guide member.   
     
     
       2. The paper feeder as claimed in claim 1, wherein said film-like elastic member is constructed such that at least a leading end portion of said film-like elastic member is divided into a plurality of parts by cutting plane lines extending parallel to paper conveying path. 
     
     
       3. The paper feeder as claimed in claim 1, wherein each said bend has an upstream side and a downstream side, the upstream and downstream side of each bend, when extended, intersecting at an angle preferably in a range of from 80° to 130°. 
     
     
       4. The paper feeder as claimed in claim 2, wherein said film-like elastic member is mounted on the downstream end portion of said movable guide member so as to extend over the substantially entire length of said movable guide member and is formed of a flexibly deformable material.